Congratulations, West Papua Is Included In The 'Five World Victories' In The Environmental Sector Published By National Geographic

Forest sightings in the province of West Papua (Photo: Hans Arnold Kapisa/Antara)

JAKARTA - The policy to protect forests by the West Papua Provincial Government is included in the "Five World Victories" in the environmental field in 2021 which gives hope for the life of living creatures in the world.

Reported by Antara, Sunday, December 12, this victory was published by National Geographic media, on December 9, 2021, entitled 5 environmental victories from 2021 that offer hope (nationalgeographic.com).

In its publication, National Geographic wrote that the Government of Indonesia's West Papua Province revoked permits for 12 contracted oil palm plantations covering more than 660,000 acres (an area twice the size of Los Angeles), three-fifths of which are still virgin forest.

Environmental rights groups and indigenous peoples are urging the government to go further and recognize the rights of indigenous peoples in the region to manage their own forests.

Three of the 12 contract holders continue to fight the government's decision in court. However, the latest news is that one of the Regency Governments in West Papua Province, namely the Regency (Bupati) of Sorong, has won the lawsuit filed by the plantation permit holders.

Furthermore, the Head of the Horticultural Food Crops and Plantation Service (TPHBun) of West Papua Province, Yacob Fonataba, Sunday in Manokwari, was proud that the forest protection policy implemented by the West Papua Provincial Government received world appreciation and attention.

"West Papua has supported to maintain species extinction and prevent deforestation," said Yacob Fonataba.

He said the West Papua Governor's policy, referring to the moratorium on oil palm expansion and planting, also refers to the Manokwari Declaration which is the result of ICBE 2018.

This commitment, Fonataba said, also received the support of the Corruption Eradication Commission of the Republic of Indonesia through the National Movement for the Rescue of Natural Resources (GNPSDA).

"What we have done has contributed to protecting nature and preventing deforestation in Papua," he said.

Fonataba explained, from the results of the evaluation of land use permits in West Papua, 611,440.84 hectares of land have been saved from 24 companies, and which is still in the form of forest cover with an area of 383,431.05 hectares.

“Indeed there were three companies that later sued. But after going through the trial process, on December 7, 2021, the Jayapura State Administrative Court (PTUN) dismissed the lawsuit, and this is a victory for the West Papua Government and indigenous peoples," he said.